Getting intimate with your food by growing it ... or not

[oxymoron02]

My husband, who loved last years tomatoes, objects to me growing them in the soil because he doesn't want to eat anything grown in "the dirt." Initially I wrote it off, as I can think of several good reasons why we wouldn't want to grow anything in the soil here (haven't had a soil test, haven't lived here long enough for herbicide/pesticide

Comments

[matrixx]

Yeah, I ran into that, too. Then I got divorced. I'm not saying the two were directly related but... yeah they totally were.

[oxymoron02]

Well, we only got married in December ... it may be premature at this point to consider divorce. Irreconcilable gardening differences?

[angelchrome]

I guess everyone has their quirks, but that's definitely strange. Then again, there are loads of people who have weird prejudices against homegrown veg at all, or will eat homegrown veg only if it looks store perfect, so I could kinda see that extending to not being able to trust soil in your own yard.

[oxymoron02]

It's beyond strange. There may be a diagnosis in there somewhere, but I'm not a doctor.

[angelchrome]

It really has to to do with how much it affects life - if it's seriously impeding his ability to live a normal life then send him to the doc, but if it's just irritating then let it slide.

I have a serious phobia of insects and there's no reasoning with me about it. I know they're part of an ecosystem and we need them but I have always been and probably will always be afraid of most bugs. Time has definitely lessened the fears (I couldn't garden if I couldn't get over it) but in the big picture it's just a weird thing about me. It's not ruining my life, but it does mean my husband has to chase alot of ladybugs out of my life. He's adjusted :)

What I would recommend though is not to let it hold you back in the garden. Grow some stuff his way, but grow some in the soil if you like. Be totally clear about which type of veg is being served that day so that he doesn't feel like he can't trust you to respect his boundries. You may find that over time his reaction becomes less extreme and he may even learn to eat the new things.

[sammason]

You speak good sense. Actually giving up on growing stuff in the ground would be far too much to ask of some gardeners (me, for instance) but a 'some this way, some that way' system sounds workable.

[ahavah]

I would quietly and happily grow my own food and serve them up anyway, telling him that he's welcome to live off hotdogs if he thinks that's more sanitary.

Not being smart ass. That's really what I'd do. I have no idea what else to possibly suggest, as that's where all vegetables come from.

[oxymoron02]

Unfortunately he would just eat hotdogs.

I'm not entirely certain I expected any better ideas than to tell him to suck it up or eat something else .... but I thought I'd try. :)

[megabitch]

Then you find the program that shows exactly how the meat to make hotdogs is mechanically recovered from the carcasses, along with everything else that goes into making hotdogs, and make him watch it.

[sixdemonhag]

lol, I was going to suggest this. I only eat kosher hotdogs because I figure they have to be at least slightly less nasty.

[azure_dragon]

Similarly, where does the soil and compost come from that the 'above ground' crops would be grown in come from?

[oxymoron02]

Last summer I sent him home with a small bag of chicken manure for his little herb garden. He knows what it is. He knows that bags of manure will be purchased and he will eat what is grown in manure, as long as they're from containers.

Absent making him sound like a fool (which is a really bad idea) I'm at a loss as to what say.

[azure_dragon]

Hmm... it's not an easy one, that's for sure! I hope you manage to convince him otherwise, but I guess if not you'll have to stick to ornamental plants in the ground and vegetables in pots and grow-bags!

[thebarkingdog]

This is weird, he must think there's something in the soil in your yard or maybe it's like he's thinking it's outside in the dirt sort of like how you wouldn't eat something that fell on the floor?

My BF was thrilled when he found out I like to plant gardens, he was excited about pulling a carrot out and eating it right there!

[oxymoron02]

He loves that I want to grow stuff ... just not in the dirt. He's OK with me budgeting several hundred dollars for potting mix, which is insane since we have a perfectly fine (OK, it's clay, but it could be perfectly fine if I just did raised beds) yard.